Cutter not Detected (found)?

If the cutter isn't being found when using Direct COM or USB the problem is most likely that it is not being recognized (found or seen) by Windows.

To establish this open Device Manager from the Vinyl Spooler. You can open the Vinyl Spooler from the File (menu) > Cut/Plot > Vinyl Spooler. Next, click on the Settings (menu) and click Device Manager.

With Device Manager open:

• Unplug the cutter from the computer and plug it into another USB Port on your computer.
• In Device Manager a folder named Ports should appear in the list.
• In Ports you should see a COM Port allocated for the cutter, or;
• In USB controllers you should see a new device added

Back in the Vinyl Spooler (Connection tab) you can now select either (a) the assigned COM Port number, or (b) the USB Device in Settings > Port Name.

If the cutter does not appear in the Ports or USB controllers folder in Device Manager then Windows cannot establish a connection with the cutter.

In this case try another USB Cable or USB Port as this is usually the problem. If there is a yellow exclamation mark on the COM Port or a device in USB controllers in Device Manager, then right-click on the device and click Update Driver and this should correct the error.

Note: You may need to restart the computer for any changes to take effect.

The critical issue is that the cutter must appear under a COM or USB Port for the Software to be permitted by Windows to send data to it.